Katherine's Little Kitchen That Could

Against all odds, it's the little ugly kitchen that could. Despite the hideous floor & cabinets and a landlord's prohibition of paint, it feels luxurious to cook bathed in the light from three windows with fresh herbs harvested from my private little windowsill garden.

Describe a challenge you've overcome or a smart resource you've found for your kitchen.

The biggest challenge was the size of the kitchen and figuring out how to avoid building a cluttered room while storing the tackle of an avid cook & maximizing the whopping 22 inches of counter space. I added a couple of mirrors to visual elongate the counter, an over-the-sink shelf for storage, baskets on the cabinets for less used items, boxes on the fridge for the frequent flyer gadgets and a burlap sack on the wall for the breadstuffs. Decorating with lots of fresh produce in wire baskets transports me to a casual little bistro in Avignon.

What's your favorite meal to cook here?

Why, the meal I haven't cooked yet. :) I love to experiment with mixing different ethnic food styles like a cauliflower-curried quiche or catfish-okra pho. Sometimes it's hit or miss but it is always an adventure.